|| Srimad Bhagavath
Mahapuran||
|| Om Namo Bhagavathe
Vasudevaya||
Chapter – 17 – The creation
of the Universe
Shukadev Maharaj describes “
Oh! King, There are three ways to contemplate upon the supreme Lord, sing in
praise of Lord, remember his pastimes and virtues and meditate upon his glorious
forms, cultivate an abundance of love and devotion to the supreme Lord, worship at
his lotus feet, perform service to supreme Lord, surrender at his lotus feet, these are
the significant path of devotion to the supreme Lord who is all-pervading, whose the physique has Viratswaroopa/massive form which comprises the fourteen worlds, all the living
and non-living things. The contemplation
upon the Viratswaroopa of supreme Lord cultivates the sense of ‘Oneness-in-All’. The Supreme Lord resides as a soul in living
beings. It would remove the impurities
of the intellect, it would remove worldly bondage, frustration, anger, fear and
lamentation etc.. The ears which do
not listen to the glories of supreme Lord is merely a snake pit, the mouth which
do not utter the splendor of Lord is nothing but croaks of a frog, the heart
which do not melt in the glories of the Lord and causes tears on eyes is nothing
but stone. ”
The Sutha Pauranika
continued to describe the glories of supreme Lord, Shuka Shaunakas and the
Sages and Rishis assembled were cheered “Hail to supreme Lord”. Sutha Pauranika resumed “ Pareekshith Maharaj
requested Shukadev to detail the creation of the Universe.” Shukadev Maharaj said “ Oh! King, it was the
same question asked by Maharishi Narada to his father Lord Bhrama.”
Lord Bhrama to Narada “ Oh!
son, The supreme Lord created me and imparted the knowledge of Chathusloki Bhagavath as a
tool for the creation, I am not the creator, I was assigned with the work of
creation as Lord Mahadeva does annihilation at the end of an era. Vathsa, the supreme Lord who represents innumerable
Universes and its living beings, he is all-pervading, omniscient and
omnipotent. We are celestials who have not
much knowledge about the Supreme Lord. I was created by the Supreme Lord,
sprung up on a lotus flower from his navel.
All that I could sense was full of waves of energy, I was not aware of
the purpose of my creation, therefore I have withdrawn myself through the lotus
stem and conducted my search, it continued for one thousand one hundred years,
I was unable to find the end of it, therefore I have returned. The mass-energy surrounded was instructed me
to undergo penance to receive the grace of the supreme Lord. In this way, I have received the Chathushloki
Bhagavath as a tool of creation from the supreme Lord who is imperishable, he
continues to reside as a soul in all the living beings, he represents non-living
things too, he continues to remain until the deluge takes place, and remains to
exists after the delusion as well. He is
unharmed by the ‘Maya’/illusion and it
is the energy of the Supreme Lord.”
Shukadev Maharaj said “Pareekshith,
I am describing the knowledge from Veda, which was re-created by Lord Bhrama after meticulously churning the
scriptures thrice and brought out the essence of it known as ‘Devotion’/Bhakthi,
I am teaching you the quintessence of it.”
